Machinations
by StraightforwardSkipper
Summary: Calem is a useless 15 year-old boy who doesn't seem to possess any talent at all. He doesn't show interest in trainer school, his skills as a Rhyhorn racer are horrible, and there seems to be no hope for this young man. It isn't until when the world is on the brink of destruction, when maybe, just maybe, battling could be his true calling.


_Life and death._

_Both are kept in equilibrium, not to be interfered, not to be disturbed. From whence the years of struggle ended, none was satisfied with the outcome._

Dark shadows waded across the walls of the red candlelight as they flickered with each movement of the dancing ones who were engulfed in robes of primary colors. The sounds of words barely recognizable to many were being chanted with each stroke of the flames that got smaller. Only the three who danced among the flames made the words come to life with each thread in their pale white hands encircling the one who was new to their world.

_For when the balance of birth and grave are meddled, the one who watches will come forth to renew a world in turmoil._

Tears streamed down the young maiden's cheeks as the pain she endured cannot be stopped for there was no end, no pause, no break, until the ceremony of joining was completed. With each clear thread piercing the soft field of youth's skin, a whimper was let out. The trio's dance song would continue for as long as it must, until the image was truly engraved on the canvas of white.

_It is what keeps the ancient kingdom from rotting. It is what keeps the two entities at bay. It is what must be as is or calamity is what shall become of. _

Orange and red disappeared, songs of the past came to halt, leaving the hall of ceremony in darkness. Nothing could be heard except the cries of the one who had finally received the blessings of the three who watches over the land of wars. She who gripped her chest, fell over on the marble surface, the candles which surrounded her, knocked around with a clash. Her eyes were open with fear and pain, the locks of her golden brown strands mangled about her face from the many tears she produced.

"Is the ritual complete?"

The question came from the shadow of a man among the many shadows whom were knelt with heads bowed. His voice was deep, melancholy, but a hint of concern could be traced within, as if the young girl was somewhat of a significance to him.

"She has succeeded in her test," replied a croaky voiced woman. The woman was not young, she was one who had experienced many years under the strands of silvery hair which hung from her wrinkly face, decorated in sweat. The other two, as well as the one who spoke, bowed their heads, their robes as much wrinkled as their visages. They too held silvery-white hair that fell onto their shoulders.

"Well then, there mustn't be any more reason to stay here," the melancholy man said. As if his words were a cue, the rest of the bowed shadows rose from their positions. Some dusted off their fabrics, while others meddled with their hairs and stretched, a long ceremony that wasn't much fun from beginning to end. A young, raven-haired boy looked up to the man who towered beside him with admiration. The man, who noticed the young one's stare, smirked with pride and placed his roughly calloused hand on top of the boy's black mane. "You weren't such a crybaby during your Mark of Joining, right?"

The two approached the collapsed girl who tilted her head to see who was before her. Her eyes widened and shook as she gazed into the face of the man who brought her here. The man who took her from her home and forced her to endure such pain that pierced her very heart. She closed her eyes, the sky blue pearls no longer shining the dark room.

"Open them, you dog!"

The blue eyes shot open from the sudden pain in her stomach. Her body shook and shook and shook from each impact of the kicks. The girl couldn't breathe as the wind was knocked out of her from the powerful force that clashed against her abdomen. She couldn't scream and she couldn't fight back. Only the tears and grunts could escape from her body as she slowly fell into unconsciousness.

"Aww, I wanted to see more of that fear in her eyes…" moaned the young boy as his attempts to kick the girl more were not working. "Father, do we really have to take in this disgusting animal?"

With a slow nod, the man had no choice but to disappoint his son. "Yes Draco, she is now a member of our family."

As the Ceremony of Joining had been completed, the man and his son strolled out of the large dark hall, closely followed behind by two men who carried the body of the unconscious girl. The rest of the shadows trailed after their superiors towards the blinding light which was the exit. Everything that had transpired was for the sake of the Niflheim family, their trademark tattoos of the legendary Tree scattered about on their bodies. The young newcomer was merely a new member who had to go through the same process as all of them.

_O great being of Order! Shall you sleep, the earth will rot. The seas will rampage. The sky will fall. The life tree of beginnings and endings will no longer contain the rage of the world's end…_

_-Sermons from the chronicler Edda_

* * *

Beams of warm light entered the dark room, illuminating it. Posters of various Pokemon species were hung on the white walls and the glint of the large television reflected the light onto the work desk of the one who lived in the room. A PC laptop computer sat in front of the rolling chair which was tucked neatly into the desk. The cases were filled with books, cups of writing utensils, and CDs.

Suddenly, a flap of gray feathers darted across the room as it searched for the one who was past their "wake-up time". It finally located the body which laid beneath the quilted sheets of blue and red. Vigorously, the small bird flapped back to gain momentum then launched itself onto the snoozing character with its sharp beak extended.

"GAH!"

The little red-faced robin quickly flew back, startled by the sudden outburst of the boy who had awoke from a painful peck to his head.

"Ouch! Fletchling that really hurt you stupid bird!" An enraged boy with brownish mop-like hair reached for the Pokemon, but was obviously outmatched by its superior speed as it darted out of his reach and stared in amusement at his great face-flat fall onto the wooden floor.

"Chirp, chirpity, chirp!" The bird seemed to mock him before it flew down the stairs which was trailed with an aroma of delicious food.

The boy rubbed his head as he got up to his feet while dusting off his blue pajamas. He sniffed the air and smiled at the thought of eating his favorite meal which his mother seemed to be cooking as he fixed his bird's nest hair and slipped into his blue jacket and pants.

Taking one last look in the mirror, "Well, hey there handsome?" He grabbed his red cap and bag before rushing down the stairs to where the aroma was stronger than ever. The boy stuck his tongue at the Fletchling as he went over to the kitchen counter where his mother was busy reading a postcard sent to her by her sister who lives in Unova_. _She looked up to see her son eagerly waiting for his late meal.

"Good morning hon, did you get a good night's sleep?"

Grace Xavier, the mother of Calem Xavier and former Rhyhorn racer from the Unova region was a beautiful woman in her forties. Same as her son, short brown hair framed her face and circled her entire head. A lively woman, just like her sister Juniper, who was the regional professor of Unova, yet they shared different interests. Grace was a famous racer whose prized Rhyhorn got her through many competitions that were held in Unova. Her status as a celebrity athlete got Calem to train as a racer himself, but struggles to follow in the footsteps of his mother.

Juniper on the other hand, preferred a much more sophisticated lifestyle after journeying throughout the Unova region. She decided to study Pokemon like their father and become a researcher. She eventually became promoted as the regional professor, surpassing her father as well. The woman offered Calem to study under her as well, but he didn't have much of an interest in researching Pokemon nor Rhyhorn racing.

Throughout his childhood, Calem never had any strong interests. He was lazy, was always procrastinating in school, and never had goals he stuck with. Along with the fact that his many members of his family were successful in their careers, he felt intimidated by not possessing a skill he could call his own. After much thought, he decided to take up Rhyhorn racing with his mother coaching him, not because he wanted to, but because he wanted to do something that would get him noticed.

Taking one last bite out of his ribs, Calem stood up. "So mom, is it alright for me to take Rhyhorn out to Lumiose for a while?"

Grace grinned, "Don't forget to pick up the groceries while you're at it. Rhyhorn and Fletchling are almost out of…"

The front door slammed shut, tossing in a breeze from the outside which instantly cut off her sentence and the scent of her cooking. A faint roar could be heard just outside the house which turned into rough "thumps" on the stone path that faded away. The mother shook her head with amusement as she tossed the residual plates into the sink. The splash of water emanated throughout the whole kitchen, along with the humming of the Fletchling in the background.

How long has it been? How long has it been since she last saw her husband before they placed him into that wooden coffin? They were definitely in love. Their love brought Calem, her precious son into the world. Maybe if she didn't choose to be a Rhyhorn racer, then her husband would somehow be with them right now. Was fame really worth it in the end?

She believed in her son. She believed that maybe all of the people, the teachers, the kids, and ex-boyfriend were wrong when they called Calem a useless boy. After all, he had the blood of a famous Rhyhorn racer AND Pokemon trainer running through his veins.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Thanks to everyone who took the time to read through this! I worked really hard on the introductory scene as how it will be an important plot point later on. For those of you who might know what I wrote about, I won't go too in depth with that mythos. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions about it!**

**Also, this is kind of an experimental story. I've already got this crazy and awesome idea for what it will be about, but I want to know if you guys liked it!**

**Next chapter will be about Calem, I swear!**


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